Parenting is one of the most fulfilling job you’ll ever have. Shortly after I became a mom, I started drawing and painting…and here’s why I keep doing it. Childhood is a subject matter that I love, and here’s why.

“This is not just a normal printed picture, it’s not a normal painting that I could buy online, it’s so much more meaningful because I get to see my beautiful children’s personalities through my favorite type of art — watercolor.”

I’ve been a mom for half my life now. My oldest daughter just turned 22, which is the same age I was when I had her. When I look back on being 22 and that time surrounding her birth, I remember being so eager to have her and to be a mom. I had no idea what deep love and pain motherhood would hold. The depth I could feel honest, raw emotions that no words could describe never crossed my mind as a possibility until she arrived.

When I was a little girl and crying, my dad would scoop me up, snuggle me, and attempt to collect my tears in a jar, telling me that those tears were precious to him. Now that I'm a parent, I understand what he meant. Childhood is fleeting.

Most recently, I was looking at my daughter who is turning 13 in a few days. She was deeply absorbed with whatever was on her phone. I remembered only 5 years ago when she wanted me to get off my phone and play with her. A pang of regret shot through me. I wished for that moment when she was more into spending time with me than spending time on her phone.

Now, I’m still not perfect when it comes to being completely present with my family. Sometimes I look a little too long at Instagram, or I text people while my husband is talking to me about the lawn or politics. But, for the most part, I attempt to stop, put the phone down, and pay attention to the people I love most in the world. I haven’t yet collected the tears of any crying children, but I can fully appreciate my dad’s approach to capturing my fleeting childhood.

My mission is to help families uncover the wonderful, connected moments they've shared; to elevate them to a place where they can feel that happiness and joy over and over! It would be my pleasure to create a painting inspired by your precious moments.

You can commission an artist to capture the essence of your memory. Debra Fasullo describes what the art of Pam Baumeister did to connect her story with the image she wanted to be painted. Discover how to hire an artist yourself.

Pam has a special talent for recreating, visually and emotionally, a beautiful family memory. It is displayed prominently in our home to remember and enjoy daily. It makes it so our sweet family dog and the memories we had with her can be remembered regularly. A piece of her is still with us, which is such a comfort.

— Vanessa & Tyler Brown, South Carolina

I definitely recommend commissioning Pam...particularly if you have photographs that really stand out in your mind...especially with little kids because time goes so fast. I’m not a particularly sentimental person and I don’t take enough pictures. Doing this is a really fantastic way to create something special and memorable.